


The Variable: X

by CSfics



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Angst, Love at First Sight, M/M, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27682945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSfics/pseuds/CSfics
Summary: Tsukishima Kei gets accepted to Tokyo University and starts his college life, which he thought was going to be the beginning of peace and quiet until he meets Kuroo Tetsurou.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. 18

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I recently started to write again and I don't have a beta reader so I apologize, in advance, for any writing errors. My only two works were written in 2017 and I finally found the motivation to finish one of them, a couple of days ago. 3 years really passed by but I've never left this fandom nor this ship, which is my OTP. I kept looking for more content and it led me to write this. I'm not sure how consistent I am but I just wanted to add more love to this ship. Please enjoy! xxx - Crystal

Cherry blossoms were floating around him. Kei sat on a bench underneath the shedding trees in thought. He finally did it. Tsukishima Kei had just graduated Karasuno Koukou and he could not believe it but how can he deny the graduation ceremony that just took place? He saw, firsthand, the happy tears of pride streaming down Akiteru's and his mother's faces when his name was called to get his diploma. He remembered his best friend, Yamaguchi's bright grin and tight hug when Kei came back to his seat with the diploma. 

_They're so emotional_ , Kei thought at the recent memory engraved in his mind. 

But now, he's staring down at the unopened envelope in his hand. The cause of this moment in self-reflection. He had received it last week but he didn't dare to open it. And it's not that he didn't want to know the results of his entrance exam to Tokyo University. Kei just kept pushing off the knowing how much his life could change depending on the contents of the letter. He could either get in or not. The two potential outcomes were really black and white when he thought of it logically but only Kei knew how much he really wanted to be admitted. Even after taking the entrance exam, Kei just scoffed at Tadashi's words of encouragement and reassurance. He tried, at every opportunity, to downplay how much this would actually mean to him. But in fact, this was his dream university and if he were to be admitted, it would give him some sense of validation in the work he has done for the last 3 years of his life. Honestly, he wanted to just throw the letter out in a nearby trash bin but instead, Kei took a deep breath and gently nudged the side of the envelope, making a small opening. He carefully pulled out the neatly, folded paper and read the first words:  
  
Dear Tsukishima Kei,   
  
We are thrilled to you offer you general admission to the freshman Class of 2015. Just one in three applicants are accepted to Tokyo University. Out of approximately 31,000 students, we chose you. And you are 1 of 120 students to be admitted with a fully paid scholarship, including room and board. Your academic and athletic successes have proven your capability to strive for success even in times of difficulty. We admire these qualities in you and hope you will accept our offer to join our community. We hope to be a stepping stone for the growth of your intellect and talent. Please make a formal decision by April 21st, by accessing the University of Tokyo's website's interface using the following username and password. Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!  
  
Username: Tsukishima.K11  
Password: 2ghJ89K+

Sincerely, the Office of Admissions Director at the University of Tokyo,  
Okizawa Kaede  
  


Kei blinked his eyes twice and re-read the letter, hoping that he did not read it wrong. Did he really just get into the school of his dreams with a full ride? _Was this even possible?_ Kei's clenched the letter tightly and noticed how wrinkly the letter had become under his vice grip. He quickly loosened his hold and flattened out the creases because he knew that he would eventually want to keep this letter in safe keeping. His moment of anxiety had passed and the letter had brought him so much joy that he couldn't help but dial his brother's number. 

_Ring, ring, ring_

**Akiteru:** Kei?

 **Kei:** Nii-san.

 **Akiteru:** Kei? What's wrong? You left the house immediately upon returning from the ceremony.

 **Kei:** Nii-san, I did it. I got in.

 **Akiteru:** You got in?!

 **Kei:** Yeah, I got in. No need to overreact. I'm gonna go to Tokyo University. 

Kei hung up before his brother could share how he excited he was for him. He loved his brother but with the sense of relief he had just gained, Kei could not deal with too many emotions at the moment. He still had to call Yamaguchi. Knowing the latter, Kei knew that Tadashi had also applied to the same college and thought that he would understand his sentiments about opening college decisions. 

_Ring, ring, ring_

**Yamaguchi:** Tsukki?

 **Kei:** Tadashi.

 **Yamaguchi:** Tsukki? What happened?

 **Kei:** Tadashi, I was admitted. I got into Tokyo-Uni. And it's a full ride, which is really everything I could ask for and more. 

**Yamaguchi:** Tsukki, I'm so proud of you. I knew that you could it. I actually have something to tell you too.

 **Kei:** Tadashi?

 **Yamaguchi:** I actually got in, too. I found out two days ago and it's not a full ride but I knew how anxious you were about this school especially so I kept it to myself. I honestly wanted to tell you but I didn't want to add onto your anxiety.

 **Kei:** Tadashi, even if I didn't get in, I wouldn't hold it against you. You should've shared this information with me immediately. But to be honest, I can't even be mad when both of us got in. 

**Yamaguchi:** Aww, Tsukki, are you implying that you would've missed me if I went elsewhere?

 **Kei:** Shut up, Yamaguchi.

Kei hung up the phone but smiled as clutched the letter to his chest. He looked up at the petals of the cherry blossom trees with a smile. The walk home was peaceful and he dragged out his steps to prolong the loud but welcoming reaction, awaiting in his home. Kei knew that Akiteru couldn't keep his mouth shut and every person from his parents to the cashier, at the bakery for Kei's surprise celebratory strawberry shortcake, would know of his admittance. He couldn't help but smile when greeted with a hug as he entered his home.

"KEI!"

"Nii-san, get off of me."

"Kei, you got in! You don't know how proud you make me. I feel like the luckiest big brother to have such a smart younger brother like you," Akiteru said with an endearing smile.

Kei knew his brother had the habit of being overemotional for all of his big moments. His first word, his first step, his first volleyball game, his high school graduation and now, his first entrance to college. Akiteru was flushed with adoration. Kei had finally achieved his dream college with only the help of his own effort and Akiteru admired all the hard work he had put in.

"That makes one of us smart."

"Tsukishima Kei, be nicer to your brother. He's just happy for you and come here, we got you something."

Kei heard his mother's voice call out to him. He took of his shoes and put on his indoor slides. He entered the living room area as Akiteru followed.

"Kei, this is from us. Your father and me," his mother said as she handed Kei an envelope. 

It was a letter from Shinsei Bank, congratulating him on his new account with them and a debit card. 

"Mom, what's this?"

"It's the money we've been saving for this day. We couldn't save a whole lot with the mortgage payments and school tuition payments but we've been preparing for this day since you were born. We wanted you to go to a good university and not be financially burdened so we saved $35,000 during your 18 years. We hope that this would be enough to start you off, at least."

Kei was shocked. With such easy going parents, he hadn't thought they would have such a practical plan for his future. He was honestly touched at this sentiment but remembered he hadn't had the chance to tell them about his full scholarship.

"Mom, I- I don't need this."

His mother's smile dropped and her face contorted with worry.

"Honey, is it not enough?"

"No, mom. That's not it all. I'm actually really grateful for this but I got a full scholarship to Tokyo-Uni, including room and board."

"Oh, sweetie, that's so great! Still, we saved this money for you just in case. It's still your money."

"Mom, I can't accept this. It's too much."

"Darling, this could be the money you use while you focus on your studies. You have 4 years of college ahead of you and I'd rather you use this and put your utmost effort in your academics instead of getting a difficult job to pay for living expenses."

"Mom, how bout this? I'll keep $20,000 for the next 4 years. And you and dad can use the remaining $15,000 for a vacation or something. Only God, knows how much you need it. You've been fretting over everything ever since my conception. You could really use a break."

His mother looked at him with love. 

"Kei, I'm going to ignore that comment because I see how the sweet boy I've raised has turned into such a dependable young man," she said as she leaned over the counter to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Mommm, stop. When is Dad coming home?"

"Aw, Sweetie. Your dad had to go out and buy take out to celebrate this special day so he'll be back soon. Why don't you go take a shower? I'll call you down when dinner's ready."

Kei hurried into his room and shut the door. He fell onto his bed in great relief, feeling the comfort of familiarity. He felt dirty but he was so tired from the anxiety leading to the letter opening.

_It couldn't hurt to take a small nap, right?_

He couldn't help but release the tension from his body as he drifted into a quiet slumber.


	2. Kickoff

**May 14th, 2015**

"I'm finished packing!" Kei called out to his parents and brother. His room of 18 years looked bare and stripped of all his personalization, missing all of his dinosaur figurines, planetary posters, and books. He found it weird that he could pack up most of his life into 3 cardboard boxes and 2 suitcases. He head downstairs to help his parents move the boxes into the car. The 2 hour car ride was relatively quiet with Kei slipping on his noise-cancelling headphones from the second that he sat in the vehicle. As they parked into the lot of the dormitory building, the four brought Kei's belongings to room #4C, where he'll be staying with Yamaguchi, who has yet to arrive. Kei's family offered Tadashi a lift but he politely refused since his own parents wanted to give him a personal send off. 

"Kei, I'm going to miss you," Akiteru said with a tearful smile. 

"Sweetie, call me if you need anything and weekly for updates, at least," his mother added. 

"Son, I'm proud of you. We're always going to be in Miyagi if you feel homesick," his father reassured.

"I'm going to be fine. You guys always exaggerate. No need to drag things out," Kei swiftly replied. His family nodded but they knew he had trouble in honestly expressing his emotions and that the former was going to miss them. Kei unlocked the door of his room and stared out the window to see his family car drive out into the horizon. The silence of the room seemed all-consuming so he dialed Tadashi's number. 

**Kei:** Gucci, where are you?

**Yamaguchi:** Tsukki, I'm running a bit late but I'll be there within 30 minutes. 

Kei sighed into his phone. 

**Yamaguchi:** What's wrong?

**Kei:** I'm fine, just hurry up. 

Kei hung up the phone and started to unpack his things, arranging them with the same placement he had in Miyagi. He needed familiarity in this new situation. He glanced around his dorm and realized this living scenario was honestly pretty nice. 4C was built for convenience. Yamaguchi and he had separate rooms on opposite sides of the dorm, with an already furnished living room in between. There was a black stand with a small flat-screen tv on top and an L-shaped velvet sectional that he could imagine himself often falling asleep on. The living room opened up to a shared bathroom, adjacent to Kei's bedroom, and a small kitchen, adjacent to Yamaguchi's room. There was a marble dining isle, separating the living space from the kitchen. The ceilings and doors were also pretty high and Kei was appreciative that he would not have to crouch when he entered through any door. Overall, the dorm had a monochromatic aesthetic, along with modern stylings and materials. It seemed like a perfect fit. Kei heard the door unlock within his musings.

"Tsukki! I'm here."

Tadashi rushed in and left his belongings in the hallway to pull Kei into a hug. 

"Tadashi, let go of me. Go get settled in, we can explore later," Kei said as he scrambled to gain his composure but his obviously flushed face gave himself away. To be honest, Yamaguchi's presence meant a lot to him in his new living arrangement, not that he would ever admit it and when questioned, he planned to deny, deny, and deny. However, having his best friend from home made the dorm seem more like a home. Tokyo would never be Miyagi but it was a start. Kei knew he needed to be strong and have a focused mind to succeed in his goal to become a surgeon. Yamaguchi wanted to become a nurse practitioner so their goals were not far off from one another. It was comforting to have shared passion and dream. 

Yamaguchi nodded and went into his bedroom, while Kei entered his own. He was exhausted from the day of moving and fell onto bed. He was glad that he had organized everything because now, he can catch up in his much-needed rest. 

**The Next Morning**

Kei was awoken by a knock on his bedroom door. 

"Tsukki, wake up. It's 2 in the afternoon. I'm going to go out and buy some groceries to stock up. Do you need anything?" asked Yamaguchi.

Awoken from his slumber. Kei groggily replied," No, I'm fine." He heard the slam of the door as Yamaguchi made an exit. 

_I should really get up,_ Kei thought with a yawn. 

He got up from his bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. He had recently bought a 3-month supply of daily contact lenses because he wanted to present a new version of himself to accompany the changes in his life. It wasn't as comfortable as glasses but it did bring out the gold in his eyes. He changed into an oversized knit sweater and straight jeans. Kei grabbed his favorite black tote and threw all his essentials: keys, wallet, headphones, water bottle, phone, and a book. He wanted to find a spot on the campus to do some light reading.

_Hopefully, there is a café or a library nearby,_ he thought and left 4C.


	3. Never Before

21-year old, Kuroo Tetsurou, unlocked the door of Café au Lune, where he worked part-time on his spare days. Despite not usually working morning shifts, he was the one opening and setting up shop today. Café au Lune was the lovechild of Oikawa Tooru, a world-renown French pastry chef, and Iwaizume Hajime, a professional coffee connoisseur. Their desserts and drinks were delicious but it was mainly known for closing late, usually around 12:00 A.M, so it became a hit with the college students in the area. The co-owners decorated the café with much love and care. The walls were sleek black with accented gray designs. It could seem a little dark for studying but Oikawa and Iwaizume opted for intricate lighting fixtures, comfy leather seats, and wide glass tables. It looked too decadent to be a café. And, despite their attention to detail, the two were never really present in the shop due to always traveling to source better ingredients to create more innovative recipes. The co-owners mainly left the place in the care of their part time employees: Akaashi Keiji, Sugawara Koushi, Yaku Morisuke, Terushima Yuuji, and himself. 

It was difficult being responsible for an entire place and to only have other college students to rely on but Café au Lune was approximately a 10 minute walk from Tokyo University, where Tetsurou is currently studying for a degree in chemical engineering, and a 15 minute walk from his apartment. The wage was competitive at ¥2000 per hour. Plus, his co-workers were easy to get along with and over the years, they became his closest friends. 

Tetsurou finished setting the chairs down and sighed at the clock. It was already 6:30 A.M. He would only have two hours to prep before they were open for business but it would give him enough time to set up the dessert displays and multiple machines for the expresso and coffee. Luckily, Akaashi was set to clock in at 9:30 A.M. so he would only have to handle the store for an hour by himself. Kuroo finished his preparations and mentally psyched himself up for the busy day. The first hour was relatively slow but around noon, the influx of customers started to flow in. Fortunately, Akaashi and Kuroo worked at similar paces so no customer was left with a long wait time. They had all received their order within 5 minutes of ordering them. it was truly an incredible feat. The orders began to slow down around 2:00 P.M. and the two workers were left to dawdle in their bit of free time. 

At the register, Akaashi was scrolling through Instagram on his phone, while replying to Bokuto's messages. Kuroo was in the middle of decorating the mini strawberry shortcakes that had just came out of the oven when the bell on top of the door rang. When he looked up, Tetsurou could've sworn he had a heart attack and the person approaching the counter was an angel, who was ready to take him to heaven. The stranger was distressingly striking and towered a couple of centimeters over Kuroo, who considered himself relatively tall. He had short, blond curls that perfectly framed his beautifully pale complexion. Despite only viewing the menu, the blond had the expression of someone, who just got insulted. He looked relatively annoyed with one eyebrow raised and pursed lips but Tetsurou only found these quirks endearing. He felt his heart skip a beat, when he heard the boy's baritone voice as he ordered a vanilla latte and a mini strawberry short cake to Akaashi. He never knew how a dessert and drink order could've sounded sexy but the stranger's presence felt like a gift that keeps on giving. 

Kuroo saw Akaashi give him an all-knowing look as he passed the order along. Kuroo read the name of the order: _Tsukishima Kei_. _A name has never suited the owner as much as this one does_ , he thought. Now that Kuroo could attach a name to that gorgeous face, he felt more anxious as he prepared the vanilla latte with more caution and care than he did for all the previous orders combined. He also carefully wrapped the mini strawberry shortcake and drew a small black cat on the heart sticker that he placed on top, hoping the blond would like the small gestures. As Tetsurou turned around to call out the name, he felt like the wind, in his lungs, had been knocked out of him when his eyes made direct contact with the blond's. Imagining those large, honey eyes on him was one thing but when it was the real thing, Tetsurou felt unprepared, under-dressed, and inadequate. He was frozen in place until he heard the blond's voice call out to him. 

"Uh, isn't that my order?"

"Eh, why yes, yes it is." The words had came out more jumbled than he would've liked it but Kuroo felt like he deserved praise for even saying a coherent sentence. 

There was a short pause of silence. Kuroo’s brain had short-circuited and he didn’t know how to act, how to be human so he just stood there, staring at the stranger.

"So, um, aren't you going to give it to me?" The blond questioned with an increasingly exasperated expression on his face that just made Kuroo turn a deep red. 

"Yeah, cool, here you go," Kuroo replied as he was mentally face-palming at his choice of words. He quickly reached out his hands, extending the dessert and drink. Their fingers had slightly brushed past each other and Kuroo could've sworn there was a light blush on Tsukishima's face. He felt hopeful that this attraction was not one-sided but the blond had quickly found a seat in one of the leather chairs before Kuroo could look any closer. As the blond was a hearing distance away, Akaashi snapped Kuroo out of his trance with a poke to the rib.

"Yeah, cool, here you go," Akaashi mimicked his voice. 

"Dude, you don't understand how scary it was. He was so beautiful and so cold, like an ice sculpture. I just wanted to keep staring but it felt like I was going to be frozen." 

"He didn't even do anything and you were already frozen in place."

Kuroo blissfully sighed and said, "I couldn't help it, he was just so him." He turned his gaze back toward Tsukishima, who was taking out his book, which Kuroo hoped to be a sign that the blond was going to stay for a while. He wanted to gather enough courage to speak to Tsukishima again, hopefully to redeem the fumbling display of himself that he just presented. 

Meanwhile, Akaashi looked at him in distaste. He could never understand Kuroo's type but he was happy for his bed-headed friend since he caught the latter eyeing the blond from the moment he walked in. It was cute and amusing how the overly-confident Kuroo was left speechless. Tsukishima did a number on him, without even being aware of it. Akaashi glanced over to the blond, who had just popped out a novel and was peacefully engrossing himself in the pages, while Kuroo just stared. He could sense that this wasn't like any of Kuroo's other crushes. He has seen the reaction of the raven when he found other people of both genders attractive before but they had never broke Kuroo's charming facade.

* * *

As Kei was looking for a place to do some light reading, he had found Café au Lune about 10 minutes away from his dorm. The café looked dark on the inside but the storefront was entirely made of glass. He took a peek at the dessert display and noticed his favorite meal in a delicious miniature form. Plus, at 3:00 P.M., the place was completely empty. Hence, Kei decided to go in. When he entered, he saw an attractive, skinny young man behind the cash register. He had an elegant aura about him and when Kei ordered, the man was pretty polite. Café au Lune seemed like a nice and quiet place until he tried to pick up his order.

Key word, _tried_. The bed-headed barista/server basically held his order hostage. When Kei first saw the man, he internally sighed because the man was inexplicably his ideal. The man was well-built and had a beautiful olive complexion. His toned arms and collarbones were nicely displayed in a a tight, black, V-neck tee. The barista looked even more attractive as he seemed to be concentrating on making the vanilla latte and wrapping the cake. As the barista finished, Kei saw the raven's face in more detail and it was confirmed, the man seemed like he was perfectly made for Kei. His hair defied gravity but the eyes, underneath that mess, were a piercing hazel. He was also close in height to Kei, which is a rare feat in its own right but when the stranger's eyes directly met his, the man looked frozen in place. Kei just observed the barista, waiting for him to hand over his order but the action never came so he decided to take the first step.

"Uh, isn't that my order?"

"Eh, why yes, yes it is." 

_What is that supposed to mean? And why is he just standing there? Does this man intend to keep my order?,_ Kei thought. He was increasingly getting frustrated as he didn't hear a follow-up response. 

"So, um, aren't you going to give it to me?" He tried not to be too snarky but it was difficult since his hunger was growing by the second. 

"Yeah, cool, here you go," Kei would question the raven's awkward phrasing but the slight touch of the barista's fingertips near his overshadowed the fact. He can already feel the heat rushing to his face and hoped the other would not notice it. Kei hurriedly grabbed his order and found a comfortable seat to open his novel. It was a lifesaver in allowing him to push down any of his thoughts for the black-haired barista. He read about 20 pages of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice before feeling the pang of hunger in his stomach. Kei pulled out the dessert and scoffed at the drawing of a black cat on the sticker. He wondered if it meant anything and shoved those feelings aside. He was not use to garnering much attention and Kei liked it that way. His personality of an icicle kept most people away and most people were not worth his time anyway. He took a scoop of his cake and it was honestly delicious. It was probably in the top 3 strawberry shortcakes he has had in his life. He ate half of the cake and continued reading his novel until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Ke looked up to see no one other than the man that was occupying his thoughts.

"Hey, sorry about before, I haven't seen you around."

"Uh, yeah, I just moved here but why is it any of your business?" Kei bitingly replied. He told himself he needed to focus on school and that was the sole reason he had come to Tokyo, in the first place. Thus, cute messy-haired baristas be damned in his book. 

The raven looked taken aback and Kei could see a grin forming, which was not the typical response he usually received from people. 

"Can I make it my business?" The barista challenged and it was Kei's turn to be speechless. He had never had someone be so direct in approaching him. He didn't want to admit it but Kei can feel himself becoming the color of the strawberry that he just ate. 

* * *

"Can I make it my business?" slipped out of Kuroo's mouth before he could genuinely process the blond's snarky response but the flushed expression on Tsukishima's face was something Kuroo knew he wanted to see on a daily basis. The latter stayed quiet so Kuroo took another leap of faith in being himself.

"Cat got your tongue?" he said with a toothy grin.

"Absolutely not. It's just hard to communicate with people, who clearly cannot read in between the lines" Kei said as he snapped himself back into reality.

Kuroo mocked fake hurt, "You wound me, Tsukishima-kun. My fragile heart is hurt."

Kei felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the man's husky voice say his name but he shot back,"Collateral damage. I can't deal with your case of low intelligence. And, why are you using my name?"

"Well, I think we're going to see each other more often."

"Who's to say?"

"Well, if I have anything to do about it, I will _personally_ see you more often."

"And, who are you?" Kei condescendingly sneered, hoping that the degrading remark would make the black-haired man back off. Yet, he received a blinding smile in return.

"I'm glad, you finally asked, Tsukki. Kuroo Tetsurou is the name."

Tsukishima wanted to scream into a pillow right then and there. He felt like he walked himself into a trap. And Kuroo was only becoming more and more handsome in Kei's eyes, as the raven's responses counteracted with his own sarcastic remarks. He wanted his heart to sit still but this conversation was only raising his hopes higher. In his state of embarrassment, Kei quickly shoved his things into his tote bag and replied, "Still not interested, I hope to see you never" with a sickly sweet smile. He quickly exited the café and prayed to whatever gods to calm his heart down. 


	4. Sparks

After the embarrassment at the cafe, Kei did not expect to run into Kuroo, on campus, so soon but here, he was standing right in front of him on his first day of classes. When he had met the latter, he thought that Kuroo would be majoring in humanities or liberal arts so imagine his shock to discover the raven being his new TA (teacher’s assistant) for general chemistry 1. Kei, on the pre-med track, inevitably had to sign up for the core science and math classes: physics, general chemistry 1, biology 1, calculus 1, and their respective labs and/or recitations if there were any. There was no getting around these classes and they were vital to his path for medical school. He meticulously planned his schedule with Tadashi and his advisor. Some of Tadashi’s classes overlapped with his but unfortunately, gen chem was not one of them. However, if he had been present, Kei was sure that the freckled-man would not stop gushing over Kuroo, especially after he had ranted to the former about what had happened at the cafe. Kei was hoping that the planning would avoid any unforeseen surprises and seeing that bed head again was one of them. Just like the mistake in assuming Kuroo’s major, he was proven wrong yet again. Kei forced his mind to cease any annoying thoughts and let his eyes wander to front of the room, where an older gentleman stood in front of the podium.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Professor Masa and I’ll be mainly focused on lecturing this semester. These are two 3rd-year students of mine, who have previously excelled in this class,” Professor Masa signaled to Kuroo and a shorter, strawberry-blond man besides him.   
  
“They will be in charge of the two sections of recitations. This will be where you’ll practice the material and review any difficulties that you may have. Hands-on.” Kei was pretty sure that Kuroo’s eyes, which have been plastered on him since he sat in his seat, had grown darker with that phrase.   
  
“So, I’ll let them do their introductions and we’ll see which students signed up for which section.” Kei had hoped that he would be studying under the tutelage of the shorter, unknown man instead of Kuroo, who seemed like a major distraction at this point in time. 

“Hi, I’m Yaku Morisuke, a 3rd-year in biochemistry. I will be in charge of CHEM 100-Section 1A. I have first-hand experience with this course so I’m here to help so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask,” the strawberry-blond man spoke. Kei appreciated the concise nature of the man’s introduction and hoped his luck was good enough to land his section.

Then, Kuroo spoke. _His voice is more confident (and deeper?) than it had been at the cafe,_ Kei thought. 

“Hi, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou. I major in chemical engineering and I will be your resident Chemistry god,” he said with a grin and a wink at Kei. There were some snickers, in the class, at the raven’s shamelessness but his gesture did lighten the tensions of the room, which was filled with nervous, 1st-year pre-med students.

Honestly, Kei immediately wanted to leave but how could he? This was his first class and an essential one to boot. 

“All jokes aside, I am here to make this course as understandable as possible. I’ll be leading Section 1B. I also have a deep love for chemistry so I hope that you’ll gain some knowledge in my recitation.”

Professor Masa pulled out a sheet of paper,” Let’s do the attendance and the division of the sections so everyone will know where to go, after the lecture.”

Kei heard many names being called out, and the pace of his heart quickened as the professor got closer to his.

”Tsukishima Kei-kun?”

”Present.”

”You’ll be in 1B.”

 _Fuck,_ Kei thought, _I am so utterly screwed_ as his eyes saw the all-knowing grin plastered on Kuroo’s face. 

* * *

The lecture had passed by, fairly quickly but Kei couldn’t help but attribute that to Kuroo’s eyes constantly meeting his. Professor Masa had covered the atom and its components: protons, neutrons and electrons. Kei attempted to take the best notes that he possibly could and after class was over, he followed the students in his section to a different classroom on the 2nd floor, where most of the recitation classes took place. He found a seat towards the very back of the room in the hopes that the distance would allow him to focus on the material instead of the raven, who was reviewing it. Shortly after, Kuroo entered the room and started to set up his slides.  
  
“So, what is the atom composed of?” Kuroo asked the class.  
  
A long-haired girl, who sat in the front of the room, raised her hand and answered, “Protons, neutrons, and electrons.”  
  
”Correct, so now, let’s talk about what makes them so different from one another. Neutrons have no charge but they reside in the nucleus with the protons,” Kuroo continued, “Protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge and they reside in levels outside of the nucleus. They have an inevitable pull towards each other. And despite the proton being larger in mass, they balance each other out. Like yin and yang, light and dark, the sun and the moon, protons and electrons have to be in the same quantities for an atom of element to be stable. They need each other.”

 _For God’s sake, how can I focus when this frustratingly handsome man is explaining protons and neutrons like a poem?_ Kei thought as he kept clicking his pen. He knew he had to get his shit together. He slapped his cheeks, which was a force of habit and a mistake, which he had realized as all the heads in the room turned to him due to the sound resonating in the quiet room. Kei turned red, as a tomato, out of sheer embarrassment.  
  
”Tsukishima-kun? Is there something I can help you with?” Kuroo cooed.  
  
”N-no, I’m fine,” said Kei, slouching back into his seat. He wished he could be anywhere but there. 

* * *

Once the recitation was over, the blonde practically ran out of the room. Kuroo would’ve felt bad for him but he was wallowing in his own impractical self-pity. Regrettably, Tetsurou missed the opportunity to ask the former about the cheek slapping incident that occurred during class. To be honest, he found the action endearing and wanted to know the cause of it. Tetsurou wanted to know everything and anything about Tsukishima if the blonde gave him the time of day but life wasn’t without hurdles. He hoped that Tsukishima would eventually open up to him with time and satiate his endless fascination with the other and his actions.

When Kuroo first recognized the blond in the classroom, he was ecstatic and when Professor Masa stated that Tsukki would be in his section, Kuroo felt like it was fate. _What a beginning of a semester or even more._


	5. Honesty

_I keep running away. I don’t even know why I’m trying so hard to avoid **him**. We’ve had one actual conversation and I could usually disregard anyone or anything but my instincts tell me to run. Otherwise, if I stay, I’ll be captured underneath those captivating, hazel eyes and smoldering gaze. And God, I hate his messy hair. I would probably hate it on anyone else but why can’t it be a deterrent to my attraction to him? _

It’s been a month since Tsukishima had found out Kuroo was his TA for general chemistry 1. And, he’s been running, avoiding, hiding, and maintaining his distance from the raven, at all costs. He realized that if there were no opportunities for him and Kuroo to be alone together, there would be less distractions from studying. However, recitation did not get any easier. In most sessions, Tsukishima just sat in the back of the classroom and kept to himself. He did all of the practice questions without any difficulty nor strife but today, there was one that he couldn't wrap his head around. It was a complete gas law equation but the answer, which Kei kept arriving to, seemed incorrect. He felt eyes over his shoulder and met hazel eyes. 

"You forgot to convert the temperature from Celsius to Kelvin."

"Oh, thanks," Kei felt his face flushed. There was an awkward atmosphere between the two. which the raven quickly noticed and rectified by leaving him to aid the other students. Tsukishima had almost wished that Kuroo would've stayed and solely given his attention to him but how could he be so selfish when he's been the one to run at every interaction? But what would happen if he hadn't ran? Would Kuroo stay? Would he return Kei's feelings of desire? Can Kuroo deal with his effortlessly prickly nature? The more Kei pondered upon these thought-consuming questions, he realized he was still confused about what he wanted from the other. Did he want Kuroo or was this intrigue just a fleeting past time that he conjured up? He heard the shuffling of feet and the closing of notebooks. Tsukishima had wasted a quarter of class time on thoughts about his TA. _What a waste._ He gathered his belongings and tried to make a quick exit, when he heard Kuroo call out to him. 

"Tsukishima-kun, can you stay behind for a while? I would like to discuss something with you."

Being aware of his peers' eyes as they left the room, it would seem odd to refuse so hesitantly, Tsukishima agreed to stay. After the room had cleared out, he approached the front desk. 

"Yes?"

"It's been a month since I've become your TA and I can tell that you've been avoiding me," Kuroo started. 

"Clearly," Kei couldn't help but remark at his own obviousness. 

"I just wanted to clarify if I did something wrong to cause this," Kuroo said with a sincere expression of guilt, which the blond found endearing. 

"It's not what you did wrong. In actuality, it's what could go wrong."

The raven contemplated for a moment at Tsukishima's statement. At Kuroo's displeasure, the blond ran away from him for a whole month and widened the distance of each other even further, leaving him to admire Tsukishima from afar. He could not deduce a reason for the consistent avoidance, since they've only had one real conversation at the café. But if the reason was due to possibility of Tsukishima acknowledging their mutual attraction, Kuroo felt hopeful. 

"Oh, really? And, what could go wrong? Tell me, Tsukishima- _kun_?"

"Are you that thick-skulled that I need to spell it out?"

"I am not but I would rather be on the same page as _you_."

"And, what page do you think _I'm_ on?"

"I honestly haven't got a clue and that's why I wanted to speak to you in the first place so why don't you just tell me?" Kuroo knew that he was pushing Tsukishima to the limit. The blond looked flabbergasted at the inquisition. Kuroo was aware of his provocative nature and how loaded his question was but he wanted a clear answer from Tsukishima's own mouth so if the other needed a push, then, Kuroo would figuratively shove as necessary.

Tsukishima sighed. He felt as if he were pushed into a mental corner and the only thing left was to confess his attraction for the other. "Kuroo-san, what do you expect me to say?"

"I'm not expecting anything. I just want to hear your perspective on what could possibly go wrong from us interacting."

"Ugh, fine. It seems like no matter how I try to avoid it, you just pester me into submission. In all honesty, I do find you attractive."

Kuroo perked up to the admission until the blond continued. 

"But, I have no intent on acting on my attraction to you. I have too much on my plate and it wouldn't be appropriate for me, as your student, to spend time with you, since you are my TA."

"To summarize, you find me attractive but you're not going to do anything about it?"

Tsukishima nodded. He didn't understand where Kuroo was going with stating what was already said but his feet stood in place. Kei couldn't run anymore so he stayed. 

"What if I disagree with that proposition?" the raven inquired.

"Hah? Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I did but I am proposing a compromise. In all honesty, you have mesmerized me since the day you've stumbled upon Café au Lune and when I discovered that you were in my section for recitation, I thanked the Gods and my past self for whatever I did in my last life, to deserve such good luck."

Tsukishima flushed at Kuroo's dramatic sentiments. _What a sap._ He couldn't stop himself from following the raven's lead.

"So, what is your so-called 'compromise'?"

"Well, I don't see an issue with a TA and a student, being friends, at least. And when the semester is over, let me take you out on a date. _I can show you things and let you experience things you've never have before._ " Kuroo winked and shone his signature feline-like grin. 

Kei liked the proposition but he knew his priorities and in his most deadpanned expression and voice, he responded. "Well, _you_ see, Kuroo-san, my goal is to become a surgeon and I've lived every waking moment in pursuit of this dream. I don't have faith in many things but for the first time in my life, I have finally felt an ounce of self-satisfaction when I achieved a full scholarship to this university so I have to maintain said scholarship and I can't have any distractions whatsoever."

Tetsurou was instantly smitten, more so than he thought was ever possible. He was well-aware of the blond's unfathomable beauty and he considered himself to be well-versed in reading people. And, in the past month of recitations, Tsukishima seemingly presented an iron-clad facade of boredom and annoyance of anything and everything. To hear that the other was actively pursuing his ambitions, Kuroo felt more sure of his attraction towards the other and did not want the conversation to end. This was the first real conversation, they've had without any restrictions from either party. He knew he had to say something to keep Tsukishima there, _with him._ Kuroo decided that he had to shamelessly sell himself, which he hated doing, but for the blond, anything. 

_"_ If it's academic success you're looking for, maybe I could also help with that. I forgot to mention that I am in the top three of my major and as your senior in said-full scholarships, I have maintained mine for three years while working a part-time job so I hope that you'll take that in consideration when answering to my proposal."

_How unexpected. You really can't judge a book by its cover,_ Kei thought. He had first thought Kuroo was a humanities or liberal arts major, which he was sorely mistaken. And, now, he was fully aware of how much of catch Kuroo actually is. The man was beautifully sculpted but who knew he had already achieved some of Kei's future goals? Kuroo was beyond attractive and Kei wanted to discern what he wanted from the other before making any rash decisions. 

"Can i get back to you on that?" 

"Take all the time you need, love. We still have a couple months before the semester's over."


End file.
